Ladder.



P. imcmsomt LADDER. Aprucmow FILED ac'r. s. aan.

Patnted Nov. 12, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

P. ERICKSON.`

LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.3,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PETER ERICKSON, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 191%.

Application tiled October 3, 1917. Serial No. 194,533.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, PETER ERICKSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chlcago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful 1mprovements in Ladders, of which the followin is a speciiication.

'his invention relates to ladders which are composed of a plurality of connected sections capable of being positioned to produce a stepladder of considerable length, the object of the invention being to provide aI novel and improved connection between the sections whereby they will be securely held in the different positions in which they may be arranged, and furthermore, to so arrange the sections that one of the latter may be used as a brace when the structure is set up as a stepladder.

The objects stated are attained by means of a combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that the same may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the ladder in extended position;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the structure arranged as a stepladder;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section showing the structure completely folded;

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 of Fi 4, and

`igs. 6 and 7 are details in perspective.

Referring specifically to the drawing, the ladder is composed of a main or bottom section 10, an intermediate section 11, and a top section 12, these three sections being pivotally connected so that they may be set to form a stepladder as shown in Fig. 3, and also unfolded and placed in alinement to form an extension ladder of considerable length as shown in. Figs. 1 and 2. When set up as a stepladder, the section 11 extends rearward and divergingly downward from the top of the section 10 to form a prop, whereas-the section 12 extends between the sections' 10 and 11 close to the bottom thereof to form a brace. The several sections may also be folded together into small and compact form if a short ladder is wanted, and aiso for convenience in storage, the section 12 being folded alongside the section 11, and these two folded sections being then folded alongside the section 10 es shown in Fig. 4.

The ladder section 10 is composed of parallel lside bars 13 and steps 14 extending therebetween. The section 11 is composed of side bars 15 and rungs or steps 16, and

the section 12 is composed of side barsl' and rungs or steps 18. At the top of the section 10 is the step 19 usually applied to stepladders.

The section 11 is not as wide as the section 10 so that it may fit between the side bars 13 of the latter section, it being pivotally connected to said side bars by suitable pivots 20 passing through the latter and through the may be slipped down over the upper ends of the side bars 13 when the sections 10 and 11 are swung into alinement, whereby said sections are securely locked in this position. The sections 11 and 12 are held in alined position by a pivoted hook 23 carried by the bottom rung 18 of the section l2 and adapted to be swung over to engage the top rung 16 of the section 11.

.When the ladder sections are folded, the sleeves 22 may be slid back on the side bars 15 of the sectlon 11 over the side bars 17 of the folded section 12 as shown in Fig. 4 to hold the same in folded position.

For locking the section 12 to the section 10 when it serves as an adjustable brace for the step ladder, the bottom ste 14 of the section 10 carries on its under side a pair of hooks 24 into which the outer rung 18 of the section 12 is slipped as shown in Fig. 3. A guard is provided for the hooks 24, to prevent the rung 18 from accidentally slipping out of the same. This guard comprises a leaf 26 hinged at 25 to the base portion of the hooks and normally held by gravity in front of the hook to bar exit of the rung 18 therefrom. When the leaf 26 is swung aside, the rung 18 can be slipped out of the hook which leaves the section 12 free to be folded.

1n the rear edges of the top step 19 are notches 27 in which the side bars 15 seat' when the section 11 is extended. The rear edges of the steps 14 are also recessed, as shown at 28 to accommodate the side bars 15 when the section 11 is folded back against the section 10, and as the section 12 folds between the side bars 15, the ladder, when not in use, can be folded into small and compact form for convenience in storage and shipment.

1. A ladder comprising bottom, intermediate and top sections pivotally connected, the intermediate section being adjustable to extend downward and rearward from the top of the bottom section, and the top section being adjustable to extend between the bottom of the downwardly extended intermediate section and the bottom section, a hook on one of the rungs of the bottom section engageable by one of the rungs of the top section for locking the bottom section to the top section, and a guard associated with the hook.

2. A ladder comprising bottom, intermediate and top sections pivotally connected, and a slidable locking member mounted on the side bars of the intermediate section and engageable with the side bars of the bottom section when said side bars are in alinement, said locking member being also engageable with the side bars of the top section, said top section being foldable back of the intermediate section.

3. A ladder comprising bottom, intermediate and top sections pivotally connected, and a slidable locking member mounted on the side bars of the intermediate section and engageable with the side bars of the bottom section when said side bars are in aiinement, said locking member being also engageable with the side bars of the top section, said top section rbeing foldable back of the intermediate section, and the intermediate section with the folded top section being foldable against the bottom section.

4:. A ladder comprising bottom, intermediate and top sections pivotally connected, anda slidable locking membermounted on the side bars of the intermediate section and engageable with the side bars of the bottom section when said side bars are in alinement, said locking member being also e'nga'geable with the side bars' of the to section, said top section being foldable bac of the intermediate section, the intermediate section with the folded-top section being foldable against the bottom section, the

.rungs of the bottom sections having recesses to seat the side bars of the folded intermediate section, and the top section being foldable between ythe side-bars of the intermediate section.

5. A ladder comprising bottom, intermediate and top sections pivotally connected, the bottom section having a top step the rear edge of which is notched to seat the side bars of the intermediate section, and a slidable locking member mounted on the side bars of the intermediate section and engageable with the side bars of the bottom section when said side bars are in alinement, said locking member being also engageable with the side bars of the top section, said top section being foldable back of the intermediate section.

6. A. ladder comprising bottom, intermediate and top sections pivotally connected, a slidable locking member mounted on the side bars of the intermediate section and engageable with the side bars of the bottom section when said side bars are in alinement, said locking member being also enga-geable with the side bars of the top section, said top section being foldable back of the interlmediate section, and a hook carried by one of the rungs of the top section and engageable with one of the rungs of the intermediate section to hold said sections in alinement.

In testimony whereof l aliix my signature.

PETER ERCKSON. 

